RAISING THE WIND.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3020, 21 November 1891, Page 5 (Supplement)

RAISING THE WIND.

Is tlio days of tiie war, many odd thing" I 1W hour by s.iilorby soldiers, finil others, Anil nut thi; least funny as a mean- to raise money Was tli" srti,mho of two rollicking brother-' — In arms— both inriiired to to alarms — Sworn eomrad-'s —i:oth fonil of a joke— Drollest (Jot's in tho ranks—up to all sorti ot prank-', Who once s'ld "a pig in a poke." From India thoy camc—what matters the name Of tli* reg'nient, its station, or number ? Tlio fighting wan done, and these scamps lull of fun Blest with cheek, cool as any ciic.imber, In Maori-like rig, sold a strange sort of pip Tn a keen wit.t"d;trader nun.(id Bnnvn. In that queer masquerade these two rascals made That smart trader the joku of the town. 'Twas twixt eight and ten, his storo full of , mon, Mr lirown buzzing round like a boo ; Whon a Maori waltzed in, with a humourous grin, And asked that busy storekeeper if ho Would buy a fat pig, which he said was so big That 'twould woigh quite three hundred or more ; " How muchee th' hoot?"—" What do yon want for the bruto ? What is it ? Sow, barrow or boar ? " "Oh! kanui to pai. Ywakwy makee th' buy ? Mo no piknu bad pie: to th' store — Kapai makeo bacon, ywakwy hoko, you take 'lrn ? Kapai hotnui two pound " —the storekeeper frowned. "Kakino th' night; ywakwy come ir daylight; Kapai—ywakwy pikau to-morrow." "Xo ; me har.v go wa—too rongvwayfar,' 1 Said the Maori in tones full of sorrow. " Xokinoki to utu." "Well, whine is tho brute?'' Cried Brown, catching hold of a light, But ho'd scarce left tlio door, when a gust from tho store Blew it out mil! he paused ill the night Then, being in u harry, Mr Brown didn't worry, Or trouble to light it again. For just on in front hu heard a deep C''int, . . . And he saw the groat pig there quite plain. Then it struck tho storekeov ' 'i.i.-ht I'-' •' ' '"I"' 1 ' If ||.. . t right t lie- , :• - , So, ... i .IK-' * too'.i.' ii'l I, li" 'lf-ru'l a !' i; '• . S\V : 'V-: <• I •••V Th" Sl-w.n •>•!» «•!'! |; ""WU II li" elioosi.nl Might have it for " won a pound »n' a ten Shining.'' Brown said he was wil.ing, And gave him the c ;sh there am' then. The Maori then vanished, and Mr Brown banished All thought of tho pig from I,is mill.l, Till, when fast'niog tho. shutters, lie s■ n1 - tlenly mutters : "What the deuce was that noi-o there behind?" Then lie instantly thought of tho pig that he'd bought, Which In.' thou wen* to take to the sty. And ha smarted to grope for the end of the rope, Hut—what menns that lour) scnrtlod cry That cleaves tho night-ail, as from one in despair, And ev'ry soul in the township alarms ? They rush to the spot, and—believe it or not— Thero lay Brown in a black bears arms. Bruin had him qnito snug ill a close friendly hug, And regarded his shrieks with surprise. Poor Brown was near mail when he found he'd been iind ; He'll remember that "deal " till ho dies. Tho bear was a pet, brought from India, you bet, And tho boys at the time were "stono brokn So they, for a lark, sold that bear in tho dark, And made poor Brown pay for the joke. I'll admit that they sinned in thus " raising the wind," But the idea was not bad, you must own. They thought it just splendid, because it had ended In their " killing two birds with one stone." Tcaran'ci.